Cowberry
by Unitlost
Summary: Life in Bluebell and Konohana is boring. It's always the same: wake up, work, fight with other town, go to bed. However, when a young farmer moves into town, will things change? Will the towns stay enemies, when the farmer lives in one town while her own sister chooses the other? Will they find love? Will these questions even be answered? You'll have to find out!
1. Prologue

**Hello! Real quickly, I would like to say that Erin and Megan are OCs of mine. They technically replace Lillian in this story. Erin was made by me and Megan was made by my sister.**

**Please review and critique. You can even flame if you want. However, please do not hate on me.  
I will post once or twice a week, regardless of if I have viewers.**

**Cowberry**

(Prologue)

In the outline of the moon, Cam could see his flower stand from his window. It looked slightly empty, as Spring was just around the corner, and he was restocking soon. The New Year's Eve Festival had just ended; he had walked home with his friend Laney, who lived with him at the café, said goodbye to his friends, and was now here, looking out the window.

…Goddess, life was boring right now!

Here he was, entertaining himself with the last 20 minutes of his life! There wasn't anything new in Bluebell. It was always the same. Cam was even pretty sure the villagers of Bluebell had a routine for what they _said._ Of course, this was Cam he was talking about. Even though Cam happened to be himself, he admitted that he was not the most exciting person to be around. He wasn't good with people like Ash was. Ash would have made a much better salesperson than Diego. Diego was demanding. Even Diego knew that.

"Caaaaaaaaa~m!"

Cam sighed as he opened the door to let his self-proclaimed "fatherly figure" into his room. Howard was probably the most un-fatherly man in the world, not only because he wasn't actually Cam's father. No, it was more than that. Howard wore a sweatervest all the time, along with maroon pants and quality shoes that seriously looked like they belonged in a bowling alley. The guy even wore _lipstick_! And Cam was expected to look up to him?

"Rutger has told me," Howard shrieked, "the most amaaaa~zing gossip!"

Cam rolled his eyes. "And I assume you're about to tell me?"

"Why, how did you know?"

"Lucky guess," the florist muttered.

Howard, unaware of Cam's unsocial mood, continued on happily. "Rutger says that there was a huge scandal! Apparently, some woman from the city cheated a rich doctor man out of most of his vegetable seeds! The poor soul loved the girl, and she played him like a deck of cards! It must be _awful _for him right now! Oh, but I'm sure the girl had her reasons too. Maybe she needed money, or maybe a loved one was sick, or maybe she needed a friend-"

"Howard," Cam interrupted pointedly. "Stealing is not the way to make friends."

"Oh, yes of course," Howard apologized. "I'm sure she knew that. Maybe she was emotionally stressed or something of the matter. I still feel bad for the doctor though. He had cooked her dinners! Oh, how heartbroken that fellow must be right now! If only-" Cam let out a loud and fake yawn- "Oh, of course. You need your rest. It's a lovely first of Spring tomorrow!" With that, the café owner practically piouretted out of Cam's room. Cam sighed. Sometimes people actually thought they were _related. _No way, no how. Sure, they both had blonde hair, but so did just about everybody in Bluebell. Laney, on the other hand, did resemble her father in some ways. She picked up his love of red and blue, except she twisted it in the _right _way: with red on top and blue on the bottom. While Howard puffed his hair until it looked like a yellow sheep was sitting on his head, Laney kept her long blonde hair in a braided bun. Laney and Cam could have been mistaken as related- twins, even- as their eyes were almost the exact same shade of green, but _Howard? _Once you knew who Laney's father was, how could you think Cam was her brother?

_Speaking of brothers… _Cam thought to himself as he remembered an antic Ash's little sister, Cheryl, had pulled during the festival. Laney was going to offer Ash some cake to celebrate the big event, but Cheryl had thought Laney was going to try to win Ash's heart, or something. The cute but somewhat sinsister child had then proceeded to place an insect on Laney's shoulder.

Any insect would have been bad enough, but Laney absolutely _despised _migratory locusts. She had screamed so loud Cam was certain Konohana could have heard, and flailed her arms, letting the cake fly out of her hands and into Ash's face.

Laney had been beet red- from embarrassment and fear- by that time, but Ash was in fits of laughter. He would have been rolling on the ground if Howard wasn't already thoroughly cleaning him up. Cheryl had looked devastated. It served her right, but Cam couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

That was another problem. It was about impossible to _not _feel sorry for Cheryl. Ash always got the worst of that fact. Cheryl was always getting him to do things with her, whether he wanted to or not. Cam had mentioned this to Howard once, and he had replied, "Well, at least she's cute!"

As the night grew quiet, Cam heard horse hooves in the distance. _Odd. Georgia doesn't usually ride so late. _The sounds were very far away, so Cam dismissed them as nothing, even when there was a crash from the same distance and direction, and drifted into sleep.

* * *

_N-no…_

_How can this be…?_

_I've ruined everything!_

A young girl wept on the mountaintop. She had been riding her horse up the mountain to… why couldn't she remember? Oh, yes, to come live in a town of some sort, when a fox had strayed in her path. Her little pony had started and ran off course, leaving them where they were at the moment.

The girl felt the bump on her head with shaky fingers. It would take _forever _for anyone to find her. Unaware of what else to do, she tried to make a mental note of anything she had forgotten.

_Ok, my birthday is Winter 22, _she said to herself. _I have a sister, I love sweets, I adhor chocolate, grammar is very important to me…_

She continued to occupy herself with the real-life memory game. In the distance, she spotted the fox that had caused the trouble. "I'll get you for that," she told it in a monotone voice. The fox bolted into the saftey of a bush. _Yay. I scare animals. Score one for me, I guess._

_That's another one! I love animals! I'm doing pretty good at this, too!_

Her hopes were crushed, however, when she heard a clap of thunder above her. The girl sighed as the first drops of rain fell. Nature sure loved throwing things at her.

She was already not one hundred percent sure of herself sanity-wise, so she stood up and yelled to the sky, "Very funny. Why don't we make it rain foxes next?"

Standing must have been too much for her, as she felt a pain in her stomach- _oh yes, I have frequent stomachaches _–and a dizziness in her head. Before she knew it, she fell back to the ground, hit her head again, and lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 1

**New chappie! I wanted to get this whole introduction thing out of the way quickly, so it's all chapter 1.**

**Chapter 1**

"…Hey… Are you alright?"

The girl slowly opened her eyes against the bright sunlight. Standing over her were two people: a man and a woman. In shock, she jumped up, and the two strangers moved back to give her room. The girl looked from person to person, very confused about what was going on.

The first to speak was the man. He was an elderly fellow; dressed sharply in a white dress shirt, tan trousers and an elegant black coat. He wore a rose on his coat, and a fun green hat with a matching necktie. His mustache was well styled, along with what hair was on his mostly bald head. "Well now…! Our friend has regained consciousness! Good, good!" He exclaimed.

"Are you hurt?" the woman asked. "It was quite a shock to find you lying there!" She was much younger than the man, and also much taller. She wore a red, white and black Asian-style dress with a matching hair veil. Her basic attire was brightened up with golden earrings and a pendant. Her eyebrows slanted down, giving her an intimidating persona. In the middle of her forehead was a dot. Her brown hair was combed back into the veil.

The well-dressed man spoke again. "I don't suppose you could be young Erin who was going to come farm here?"

_Erin? _The girl thought. _Is that…? Yes! I think that's my name!_

Erin nodded.

"Ho ho!" he laughed. "I knew it! I am the mayor of the village of Bluebell down the road to the left. My name is Rutger. Why not come to my village? You'd be very welcome!"

"I-" Erin began.

"Who do you think you are?" the woman angrily shouted as she pointed an accusing finger at Rutger. "If this young farmer lives anywhere, it'll be Konohana!" She turned to Erin and continued. "Ahem. Sorry to yell like that. But I'd hate for you to make a mistake."

"Mistake…?" Erin asked.

"I'm the mayor of the village down the path to the right. It's called Konohana. My name's Ina. I'm sure that Konohana would suit you better!" the woman- Ina- explained.

Now it was Rutger's turn to shout. "And who do you think YOU are?" He yelled, clenching his empty fist and squeezing his staff until it bent. "Konohana? Better than my lovely village of Bluebell? Preposterous!"

The two mayors glared at each other, as Erin stammered, "I-I… um…"

As if they just remembered that Erin was there, Rutger and Ina quickly turned back to the young lady. "Well, Erin, it's time for you to pick which village you want to live in," Ina said.

"A-already?"

"It certainly is!" Rutger happily agreed. "Before you do, let me tell you a little about Bluebell!"

Ina rolled her eyes. Erin could sense the Konohanian's impatience for Rutger, but both girls kept their mouths shut.

After throwing an apologetic glance at Ina, Erin prompted Rutger. "Please tell me."

"Of course! I'll tell you all about it!"

Rutger then began to describe the village of Bluebell. "In Bluebell, our lives center on our livestock. Their glossy coats! Tails swaying in the breeze! Their soft eyes! Fresh milk, cheese and eggs! In Bluebell, our animals are like lifelong companions!"

Erin nodded, imagining all the adorable creatures living in the village.

"And our adorable animals aren't all!" Rutger continued. Ina groaned, but Rutger paid no notice. "Flowers bloom everywhere, handsome brick houses stand along cobblestone streets…" After a dramatic pause, he concluded, "Bluebell is a storybook village filled with romantic charm! Doesn't that sound like a wonderful village? Farming means livestock, after all!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Ina argued. "Farming means crops! And when it comes to crops, Konohana is tops!"

_Is that, like, your town's motto, or something?_

"Now it's my turn to tell you something about what Konohana is like," Ina declared.

"Of course," Erin agreed.

"Alrighty then," Ina responded. "Let me tell you about it-" Ina began to speak about the layout of Konohana- "Konohana is nestled among fields of crops. Tender vegetables! Sweet, scrumptious fruit! Golden waves of grain!"

_Well. We're quite fond of figurative language, aren't we? I've already counted rhyming, alliteration _and _a metaphor!_

"Crops sprouting from ample fields in all seasons. Raising crops is what life is all about! Along with our great crops-" Rutger impatiently fiddled with his rose- "we have a village that's as pretty as can be! The buildings have tile and thatch roofs that really set them apart! And colorful lanterns hanging from the eaves!"

"Are you quite finished yet?" Rutger mumbled.

Ina finished her speech with, "That's Konohana for you! Nice place, isn't it? You won't find a better place for crops in all the world."

Rutger cleared his throat. "So, Erin, which village do you choose to live in?"

"Your choice will affect how your life is from now on. So pick the village you like," Ina added.

Erin looked up at the sky. _It's going to rain sometime soon. _Both towns sounded amazing to live in. Bluebell had animals, and Konohana had delicious sounding crops. She counted the pros and cons of each village, but they added up to be the same. Then it hit her. Rutger couldn't stop her from raising crops if she lived in Bluebell, and the same with Ina and livestock in Konohana. Therefore, it didn't _really _decide her whole career then and there.

Still, she wasn't sure which village she would prefer. She adored Asian-style _anything_, but the flowers in Bluebell sounded wonderful. There was nothing to do but to let her intuition decide this one.

"I believe I will move to Konohana," she finally announced.

"I knew it!" Ina laughed. "Who could resist such a beautiful, crop-friendly town?"

Rutger let out a depressed sigh. "I don't get it…" he complained. "What's wrong with Bluebell?"

"Oh, there's nothing _wrong _with it! I just-"

Rutger, not wanting to hear the rest of Erin's compliment for Konohana, regained his composure. "What a shame! If you ever change your mind, you're welcome in Bluebell!" He said, before beginning his walk back to Bluebell.

Ina and Erin watched until the man was out of sight. Once he was, Ina turned to her companion. "Alrighty then," she announced, "let's get going to Konohana!"

"One thing we have to deal with before that, though, is your muddy clothes!" she added.

Erin looked at herself for the first time since waking up. Her shirt was torn and discolored. The shorts she wore were covered in mud, along with her boots. Her short reddish-brown hair was a tangled mess, and there were scratches on her face and arms, in addition to the bump on her head. Realizing how unappealing she looked, she nodded as she waited for Ina to continue.

"You wouldn't want to start your new life all caked in mud! Wear this instead," said Ina as she handed Erin a bundle of clothing. Erin wondered why Ina had spare clothing fit for twenty-two year-old girls in the first place, but didn't care enough to ask. "It's a Konohana outfit," Ina explained. "Go ahead and put it on."

Erin, being self-conscious of her current appearance, despite the fact that Ina was probably the only person for miles, took refuge behind a large tree to her left. Once she had finished, she checked her reflection in the nearby spring.

She was now sporting a baby blue camisole with a navy blue crop jacket. The jacket had yellow and blue trimmings on the inside edges, with a matching stripe going horizontally all around her chest and back. Similar trimmings edged the holes of her flared sleeves, above which there was a wider red stripe on each side. She also had on capris in the same color and with the same flare and trimmings as the jacket. On top of the bottom was a golden yellow skirt with a brown belt. Hanging off the belt was a piece of red fabric made of the same material as the red stripes on her jacket. Her boots were replaced with closed toe sandals, with more red and yellow stripes. To top it all off, her still untamed hair was kept out of her face with a hair band that matched the fabric and the red parts of her sleeves.

Satisfied with herself for the time being, she walked back to Ina. "Looks pretty good on you!" she complimented. Erin blushed at Ina's kind words; she wasn't used to straightforward praise. "Starting today, you are a resident of Konohana!"

Erin nodded for what seemed like the hundredth time that meeting. Her throat was very sore, so she was trying to save her voice as best as she could without looking stupid.

After making a quick mental check, Ina announced, "Now we're ready to go to Konohana!"

Ina and Erin descended into the northern part of Konohana. Erin looked around in amazement at the area. There was a tall white wall painted blue on top to mark the border of Konohana and the mountain. The paths were unpaved but well kept. There were two houses nearby. One was white with a tall red roof, while the other was red with a brown roof. The second house had a matching stable with a large fenced in area. There was lots of open space to grow crops- just like Ina said- and red benches were scattered around. Cherry blossom trees grew in abundance. Erin looked behind her and noticed a mysterious hole going straight through the mountain.

Ina was aware of Erin's attention changing locations and asked, "Huh? What is it?" She followed Erin's eyes. "Oh, so you noticed the tunnel. It connects this village with Bluebell…" Erin looked at Ina in surprise. "But it's blocked now-" the mayor hastily explained- "and you can't go back and forth like they did in the old days."

Long after Ina turned away from the tunnel, Erin was still looking at it, wondering what life must have been like back then. "Get a move on!" Ina scolded half-jokingly. "We're burning daylight here. Your farm's this way. Come on!"

Ina followed the path to the right into what was to be Erin's farm. Erin took one glance back at the tunnel before turning and following her.

Both girls were unaware of their spectator. A beautiful young woman with long green hair had appeared out of nowhere and watched as Erin hurried off after Ina. She seemed to be considering Erin. "Perhaps…" she whispered to herself, before disappearing.

Erin caught up to Ina just as the path curved to the left and Ina stopped. "This is the place!" Ina announced. "Your new farm!"

Erin looked around her new home. In front of her, a few paces ahead, was small, hexagonal white house. There was a large brown door in the front, and one small round window on each other side. The roof was thickly thatched and held together with a wooden criss-crossed decoration that reminded Erin of a bicycle rack from her old town. The path led straight to her front door and widened to surround her whole house, with much more area on the left being dedicated to the path than the right. There were some barrels and crates organized on the left and right sides of her door, respectively.

Directly to the right of her was a smaller square building, painted brown with the same roof style and wooden top. With it's caged windows and large entrance with no door, plus the decent sized fenced in area surrounding it, Erin guessed it was a stable of some kind. The fenced area started on each side of the small cliff that the stable was placed against and came around until they met. Another fence branched off at one point and came around to make a smaller area within the fenced area. The entrance to the whole area was blocked off to animals by logs that people would easily get around.

There was lots of open space, and many trees; cherry blossom and oak, Erin noted. To her left was a water pump, with a stone pool beneath it. It was already filled to the brim with fresh water. The grass was tall and unkempt, but above all the place looked very hospitable to Erin.

Ina laughed when she saw Erin's excitement and contentment. "First, you need to decide on a name for your farm," Ina informed Erin. "Pick any name you like!"

Erin thought about it for a minute. "I've always wanted to have a farm called Jewel Farm. I just think it's a lovely name for a farm."

Ina looked taken aback, probably because it was the first time Erin had spoken in more than one sentence. "So you want to call it Jewel Farm? You sure?" she questioned.

"Do I sound unsure to you? Yes!" Erin laughed.

Ina's laugh joined Erin's. "That's a good name!" she remarked. "I'm sure it will be a great farm!" The two stood in silence for a minute, before Ina continued, "Your house is just ahead. But first, you should take a look around your farm! I'll wait for you in front of your house."

Erin wandered around, getting a better look at her stable and crop space. Once she was done, she walked to her house. Ina was there, just like she promised.

"All done?" Ina asked, "Great!" she continued before Erin could even answer. "Oh, one more thing. There are a lot of useful natural items in and around the mountain. Feel free to pick them up."

Erin nodded. Again.

"I know!" Ina exclaimed. "I'll give you some practice by sending you on a treasure hunt!" Erin looked at Ina curiously. "Somewhere on this farm is a flower," she explained. "Find the flower and pick it up, ok?"

Erin explored her farm area again, keeping her eyes on the ground in search of the flower. She finally spotted it near the entrance to her farm. It was a rich blue color, and bell shaped. The stem curved a little so that the flower's top was horizontal instead of vertical. Admiring its beauty, Erin carefully picked it up.

"That's the way!" Ina called when Erin walked back over to her. "Once you've got an item, there's no reason not to throw it away. But don't do that with the valuable item you've just found! Items like this should be put in your bag…"

"My bag?" Erin asked.

"It's a good idea to put what you've picked up in your bag before you lose it!"

"But… I don't have a bag," Erin reminded her mayor.

"Oh!" Ina gasped. "That's right! So sorry. Here you go. I had it here for you, and forgot to give it to you. Silly me. You can attach it to your belt." She handed Erin a brown rucksack. Erin tied it to her belt using part of the red fabric. "Put that flower in your bag!" Ina instructed. Erin did as she was told. "Looks like you put it in your bag just fine," Ina praised.

"No, because putting flowers in bags is really difficult," Erin responded sarcastically.

Ina chucked apologetically. "Sorry, this is kind of rehearsed. Now let me show you your house."

Ina stepped aside to let Erin lead the way into her house. Erin looked around. Most of the area was empty, but there was a decorative orange rug in the middle of the wooden floor, with a simple table on top of it. The whole floor was made of the wooden planks except for the very entrance, which was stone. A long yellow bowl that Erin expected would hold pet food sat against the right wall. Near it and the door was a strange miniature tree thing. Against the left wall was a counter-type area. On it was a miniature cart and a calendar. Next to that was a green chest, and next to _that _was Erin's bed. It had a simple light blue sheet on it. Behind the bed was another counter, but this one had nothing on it. Against the back wall was a bookshelf, already full of books but with room for more. Next to that was a small table with a basket on it. In the back right corner was her kitchen. There was a two-flame stove, a counter with a cutting board and knife, and a sink. Next to that was a tall cabinet, with two drawers. On top of that, there was a green scale and two bottles of cooking wine. An olive colored mat was laid out in front of the kitchen, spanning from the stove to the sink.

"This is your house!" said Ina. "Live in it however you like."

"Really?" Erin asked mischievously. "_Any _way I want?"

Ina stammered, "W-well, maybe not _any _way, but-"

Erin laughed. "I'm just kidding! It's lovely!" she exclaimed.

Ina looked relieved that she hadn't invited some kind of psychopath into her village. "There's been a lot of info to take in today… I bet you're tired."

Erin hadn't noticed before, but as Ina said it, she felt a yawn coming to her. She held it back, but nodded.

"You should get some rest. If you feel up to it, you can check the bookshelf and kitchen before sleeping."

"Alright," Erin responded, accidentally letting the yawn out when she did.

"That does it for me," Ina decided. "I'll be getting home."

Erin nodded again and bade Ina farewell. The mayor left Erin's house, leaving the farmer to herself. She suddenly didn't feel up to looking at her bookshelf, so she climbed into bed. She fell asleep instantly.

**I hope you weren't expecting Ina to tell Erin how to walk. Although, with Ina's word choice, that could have been interesting.**

**Ina: Let me tell you how to move!  
Erin: ... isn't that a little sudden? (Note: Moving can mean switching towns as well.)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Foooooooop! Finally finished the chapter! Sorry guys, I forgot my password.  
Oh, and if you're wondering why this is rated T, it's for mild language later on.**

**Chapter 2**

"Good morning, Erin. Thought I'd drop by for a visit," Ina said as she opened the door to Erin's house. Erin groaned and put her pillow over her head. "Hey, sleepy-head! Wake up!" Ina scolded as she shook Erin's shoulder.

"N-no…" Erin mumbled. "Too early… wake me… noon…"

"Noon!" Ina exclaimed. "Don't tell me you're used to waking up that late! Nope; here, we wake up at six o'clock sharp! Now get up before I pour water on your head!"

Erin muttered something unintelligible before groggily sitting up. "What?" she complained.

"Ah, so Sleeping Beauty has finally awoken!" Ina laughed. "I really am sorry to barge in on you so early. It's a good thing I did though. You probably would have slept all day!"

"That's… true," Erin admitted with a giggle.

Ina laughed again before continuing. "I'm actually here to tell you some things that will be handy to know for your life here. Come with me to the town square."

"Kay." Erin got out of bed, quickly made herself presentable, and followed Ina to the center of town. Ina led Erin to a large house shaped bulletin board in the middle of town.

"This is the message board," Ina informed Erin. "Villagers who need something done will post their requests here. I hope you'll take on some requests when you have the opportunity."

"And I'm supposed to _do _things for others…?" Erin grumbled.

"Of course you are!"

"Yeah, I know," Erin sighed. "Sorry I'm being so disagreeable. I'm not exactly a morning person."

Ina smiled. "I can tell. Now, there are three steps to requests. Accepting the request, getting the requested items, and finally delivering the items. It's simple really. However, just like there are three steps, there are also three things to remember. One, every request has a deadline. If you miss the deadline, then you've failed the request. By then, the requester will most likely have obtained the items by another means, so they won't accept yours anymore. But don't worry! There are no penalties for failing! So don't be afraid to fail!"

Erin looked thoughtfully at the message board. "That is the first time anyone's said something good about failing to me."

"Well, what I mean is that we won't like you less if you don't succeed," Ina explained to the slightly dimwitted farmer. "The second thing to remember is to have the items with you when you try to deliver them to someone. You wouldn't want to look silly by doing that." To Erin's surprise, Ina suddenly became very serious. "This is the final thing to remember, and it's important! If your bag is full when you're given your reward, you'll be forced to throw away either one of your items or the reward! You wouldn't want to lose the reward you worked so hard for, would you?"

"Phew," Erin sighed. "I thought something would explode or something if my bag was full. Wait, why can't I just take the item home with me? Does it _have _to go in my bag with me?"

"Hmm… guess not," Ina said after a moment's consideration. "But most things we give as rewards would be ruined if you dropped it, so it would be safer to put it in your bag."

"But I don't _have _to, right?"

"We've already discussed this!" Ina impatiently responded. "Just make sure you have _some _means of accepting the reward, ok?"

"Got it," Erin mumbled absentmindedly.

Fed up with Erin's attitude, Ina decided to test her attention. "Would you like me to repeat that?"

Erin started. "Oh, goddess, no!"

"Hmm. If you're so confident, why don't you take on a request right now?"

"…I have to _what_?"

"You heard me," Ina retorted. "I've put a request up for you. Why don't you accept it?"

"Fine," Erin sighed. She looked at the message board. Sure enough, there was a slip of paper. The handwriting was neat; the kind of handwriting expected of a mayor.

_Welcome to Konohana! _The request said. _I want to tell you something. Reward: 3 Turnip Seeds; 3 Potato Seeds._

"Wait, wait, wait. So, you just tell me something," Erin analyzed, "and I just _get _free vegetable seeds? This request thing isn't so hard after all!"

"A-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-no. I'm going to tell you how to _plant _them!"

Erin groaned. "So you mean I need to get up early, help people and, on top of that, _work_, too? How do you Konohanians _live_?"

Ina looked at Erin. "You aren't used to country life, are you?"

"Nope. Nein. Nyet," Erin responded. "But I _am _used to knowing many things education-wise! Like did you know that the word "the" is pronounced "thuh" when the subject starts with a consonant, and "thee" when the subject starts with a vowel? Or that cold fusion nuclear reactors have cathodes and anodes, just like batteries? Or that-"

"We are going to PLANT THINGS now!" Ina interrupted.

"Oh, yes. Plant things," Erin cheerfully responded as the two began their trek back to Erin's farm. "Hey, did you know that plant cells have larger vacuoles than animal cells? Or that-"

Ina groaned.

"Alright. Do you understand?" Ina asked.

"Yep," Erin exhaustedly replied. The two had been planting for hours. Ina had taught Erin how to cut the grass down with a sickle, till the soil with a hoe, plant the seeds and water them. "But could you go over how to harvest one more time?"

"That's simple!" Ina responded. "For some crops, you'd just pick them, and they'd regrow, but for turnips, you just pull them out of the ground!" Ina bent down and yanked one of the turnips she had pre-grown up and out of the soil. "Like so!"

"Hmm, could you show me again?"

Ina sighed and handed Erin the turnip. "I'm not going to keep showing you until there are no turnips left. Why don't _you _try?"

"Fine, fine," Erin laughed. "So… reach down," she grabbed hold of the turnip's bright green leaves, "and yank!" Pulling too hard, the turnip came out at a surprising rate. Caught off balance, Erin stumbled backwards and landed on her backside. "Oww…"

Ina stifled a laugh as she held out a hand for Erin. "You've got a little ways to go before you're a farming pro," Ina observed as Erin gratefully took her outstretched hand. "I think you'll do fine if you practice, though."

"P-practice?" Erin asked as she wiped away a few tears- the result of falling hard onto solid ground.

Ina nodded encouragingly. "Uh-huh! You can do things like pulling weeds out of the ground to practice your harvesting. Foraging might actually be a big help to you. You can also ship the items your forage out for a little extra money while you wait for your crops to grow!"

"I see," Erin replied. The young farmer sat down on her knees. Was she really that bad at this? Was she so bad that Ina felt she needed to practice with _weeds_? Why was she even doing this if-

No. Giving up was not an option. She made a silent pledge to herself that she _would _become an amazing farmer. She'd show Ina that she would be helpful to this town. She'd be dependable! Helpful! Less pitiful! _I'll show anyone who dares to doubt me! I'll show them! I'll show them by pulling the weeds, just like Ina said!_

"I understand," was Erin's final reply. "Is there anything else you'd like to teach me?"

"Finally fully awake, I see. I like you a lot more like this. The awake you is much more pleasant to be around," said Ina. "I have a welcome gift for you, actually."

"Oh, no, I couldn't!" Erin protested. "You've been so nice to me already! I couldn't possibly take more from you!"  
Ina laughed when she saw how flustered Erin was. "No, really, it's ok! It's just fertilizer! It really isn't that big of a deal anyway!"

"Oh!" Erin exclaimed as Ina handed Erin the green bundle of fertilizer. "T-thank you!" She smiled. "Thank you so much! I love it!"

Ina shook her head at Erin's excitement. "It's still just fertilizer. You can you it to improve the quality of your crops. This farm has plenty of space to grow crops, so grow as many as you can!"

"Got it!" Erin replied. She clenched a fist and looked at Ina with bright eyes. "I'll do my best! You'll see!"

"One more thing," Ina added. "I was thinking about how Rutger and I found you unconscious yesterday, and well, just don't push yourself too hard, ok? Eat enough so that you don't burn more calories than you take in."

"Alright!" Erin replied. "Eating won't be any trouble at all! It's all I ever did in my last town anyway!"

"Well, that fulfills my request on the message board, then. I've left some things in your storage. Feel free to use them." Erin nodded enthusiastically. "I'll get around to putting other requests on the board, so take a look at it from time to time. You can also visit me at Town Hall if you have any questions. Farming is hard work, but I'm sure you'll do great! It's great to have you in town!"

"Thank you, Ina. It's great to be in this town," Erin replied gratefully. "I don't know what I would have done if you and Rutger hadn't found me there."

"Well, I have to get back to Town Hall," Ina decided. "See you later, Erin."

"Bye Ina!" Erin happily waved. She continued waving until Ina was out of sight before turning towards the remaining turnips. "Alright," she told herself. "Just grab the leaves, and pull in a manner that is less abrupt than yanking!" The turnip once again popped out of the ground a little suddenly, but this time Erin was prepared and the force wasn't enough to knock her over.

Satisfied with her accomplishment, she went to put the vegetable in her storage, when a voice stopped her in her tracks. "Dum-da-da-da! You've just harvested your first crop! Congratulations!"

"W-wha?! Who are you?!" Erin called out. "What are you doing in my head?!"

"You mean you haven't figured out who I am?" the voice sounded hurt.

Erin looked around frantically for the source of the voice. "N-no. I've never heard your voice before, a-and I can't see you, s-so-"

"No matter!" the voice, which Erin deemed as definitely female, suddenly proclaimed. "I'll tell you if you can find me!"

"F-find you?!"

"Of course!" the voice agreed. "Anyways, keep up the good work! Toodles!"

Erin sensed that the presence of the voice's owner was no longer there. "Goddess, I'm going crazy," she muttered to herself. Suddenly wary of the rest of her turnips, she decided to turn her attention to the town. "Maybe I'll meet the locals before risking another chat with that overly happy voice."

"Hello! Anyone home?" she called as she knocked on the door of the tall red house. "Anyone?"

No answer came from inside.

She tried again. "Is anyone there?"

No answer.

Getting impatient, Erin pounded on the door with her fist. "Is ANYONE there!?" she yelled.

"No one lives there, y'know."

Erin jumped and gave a little shriek at the sound. "Oh, no. Not another one. I can't take ANOTHER voice in my head!"

"Voice in your…? I'm standing behind you!"

Erin slowly turned to face the stranger. He had long hair for a man, tied up into a brown ponytail. His eyebrows were very noticeable compared to his small eyes, and the corners of his mouth were turned down in confusion.

"Hey, you're a new face in town!" he realized. "Awesome! I'm Kana!" He stuck out his hand. Erin stared at it for a moment before understanding what he was expecting.

"Erin," she replied as she grasped his hand with her own and shook it. "I'm the new farmer."

Kana looked shocked. "Really? Someone as small as you?" Erin pouted. "Well, looks can deceive. If you need anything horse related, I'm your guy."

"Hmm," Erin hummed. "Wait, did you say _horse _related?"

Kana nodded. "I live in that brown house over there with the stable," he pointed towards the other house Erin had seen the day before. "I run the animal shop in Konohana."

"If you see a white pony wandering around, could you bring her to me?"

"Yeah, totally!" Kana agreed. "Is she yours?"

"Uh-huh. She ran off after I crashed on the mountain," the farmer explained.

"Whoa! You CRASHED on the mountain?" Kana asked in disbelief. Erin nodded, pushing up a couple bangs so that he could see the bump on her head. "Ouch," he breathed when he saw it. "Anyway, I could rent you a bigger horse. I have thoroughbreds, and drafts, so if you want to-"

"Oh, no, I couldn't!" Erin interrupted. "I'm very sorry, but I couldn't imagine being separated from Uma. We've always been together. You understand, right?"

"Oh, totally," the tanned storeowner acknowledged. "I could never replace Hayate. It's great to know that you're close with your horse."

"I'm glad you understand," Erin replied, relieved. "I hope there's something else I can get from your store."

"Oh, yeah!" Kana confirmed. "I also sell pets, and anything cart related. So you can totally still shop at my place!"

Erin nodded excitedly. _I'm usually not good at making friends quickly! _She was genuinely surprised at how fast she and Kana had become acquaintances. She hoped the other villagers were as friendly as he was. _He seems really fun to be around. And we're technically neighbors. _She smiled to herself. _Maybe I'll finally be able to get over that stupid shyness of mine._

What? You didn't realize Erin was shy? Sure, she has a slightly sharp tongue in the morning, but Erin had met Ina already. And wouldn't _you _talk back a little if you were woken up six hours earlier than you're used to? Don't be so quick to judge people. Gosh!

"Oh, it's almost 10!" Kana exclaimed. "I gotta start heading off to work."

"No problem! I'll see you around, then?" Erin asked.

"Totally! See you later, Erin!"

As Kana left to go to his house, Erin decided to follow the path south into the main area of Konohana, where the message board was. She was surprised when she noticed how many houses there were here compared to near her farm. She stared in awe at the beauty of the buildings while she walked forward.

However, not paying attention, she bumped right into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she apologized when she realized what happened. "Are you alright?"

"The greater question is will this old man still be able to have fun today, hmm?" The "old man" was short and stout, with white hair and a drooping white mustache. He wore a large cone shaped hat on his head, and his outfit was completely blue, besides the red vest he wore over his shirt.

"I assume."

The man studied her for a moment. "Ah, and who would you be?"

"Oh!" Erin exclaimed. "I'm Erin, the new farmer."

"Erin, hmm?" the man said thoughtfully.

Erin waited in silence for the man to tell her his name, but no attempt to do so came. "And your name would be…?"

"Hmm? What's my name? I'm Gombe. Nice to meet you."

"You too!" Erin warmly responded before Gombe sprinted off in the direction of a teashop.

Erin spotted the figure of a young woman not too far off. She started to come up behind the woman, remembered that sneaking up on people does not make a good impression, and made her way around front. The woman must have spotted Erin, because she turned to face her when Erin came down the path.

"Oh, hi!" the woman greeted. "Are you Erin?"

Erin nodded. "Uh huh!"

The woman smiled warmly. Her long black hair went past her waste, and she was clothed in a pink dress with a matching headband. "Nice to meet you! I'm Nori. I help my grandpa out on his farm."

Erin looked in the direction Gombe had gone. "Is your grandfather…"

"Gombe?" Nori finished. "Yes, he is. He can be childish sometimes. Always running around at such an old age… He runs the seed shop here."

"Seeds?" Erin repeated. "Good! Because I'll need more soon."

Nori laughed. "I'm glad to see you have a farmer's spirit! We open again on Wednesday, so you can get seeds the day after tomorrow."

"Alright!" Erin stared at the fields of potato Nori was watching. "Um, if it's your day off, why are you watching over the fields? They aren't going to go anywhere."

Nori looked at Erin quizzically.

Erin became flustered and explained, "At my old home, on my days off, I stayed as far away from work as possible. Of course, I never really had a real job, but, you understand what I mean, right?"

Nori thought for a moment before nodding. "You have a point. The potatoes won't get up and walk away. In that case, would you like to go to the Teahouse with me, Erin?"

Erin started. "M-me? Even though we've just met?"

Nori nodded.

"And…" Nori nodded again. Erin smiled. "I'd love to. Thank you, Nori!"

Nori giggled. "You panic easily. That's cute!" Erin looked down, embarrassed. "The Teahouse is this way. Come on!"

Nori took Erin's hand and gently started pulling her in the same direction that Gombe had run off to. The building was white, with brown supports and a green roof. A string of bright red lanterns made the place look welcoming.

The two girls climbed the few steps to the door. It was already open, so they entered the room. In the center was a large counter with a kitchen behind it. Standing at the counter was an elderly lady. Her face was kind, and her gray hair was tied into a bun.

Nori pointed to a table. "You make yourself comfortable. I'll order for us. Are dumplings alright?"

Erin's stomach growled as if on cue. "Dumplings sound wonderful!"

Nori nodded and headed off to speak to the woman. Erin fiddled with a lily blossom in the flower vase in front of her as she waited.

It didn't take long before Nori returned to the table. "The dumplings will be ready any minute!" She informed Erin.

The two waited in silence- the kind of silence you experience when you aren't sure what you should talk about- until the teahouse owner came by with a plate of steaming hot bamboo dumplings.

"Mm! That looks delicious!" Nori complimented.

The teashop lady smiled. "I'm glad you think so! They're all yours!" She set the platter down on the table before turning to Erin. "My, my, you must be Erin. I'm Yun. I run the teahouse. Please stop by for a meal whenever you want!"

"I'll have to take you up on that offer one day. These dumplings look REALLY good!" Erin replied.

"Why, thank you!" Yun graciously said.

Erin was about to grab a dumpling when something moved out of the corner of her eye. A little girl was peering out from behind a door in the back. Her long black hair was tied into a braid, and she wore a yellow shirt over her pink dress. Clutched to her chest was a stuffed panda.

Yun noticed Erin's change in attention and looked to see what had caused it. Her face filled with recognition and understanding. "Ying, what are you doing back there? Come say hello to our new neighbor!"

Ying nervously made her way over to the table. She looked at her feet and blushed. "Oh… H-Hi."

Erin smiled reassuringly. "Hello there! My name's Erin!"

"Your name's… Erin?" the child repeated. "…Ying… my name is… Ying. I live… with my grandma."  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ying! I hope we can be friends!"

Ying looked up. "Friends?" She smiled shyly. "Yes… I'd… like that."

Yun and Ying returned to the kitchen to wash some dishes, while Nori and Erin enjoyed their dumplings. About an hour had passed before the two were ready to return home.

"Thanks again for the dumplings, Yun!" Nori called out as the two farmers left the teahouse.

"Mmm… that was scrumptious!" Erin complimented. Giggling, she twirled around until she tripped on a rock. Gasping, she fell face first to the ground. "THAT… was not."

"Are you ok, Erin?" Nori asked, concerned.

"Y-yeah… just a scraped knee," Erin concluded after a brief self-inspection. "I hope it doesn't get infected."

"If you're worried about that, you can always go to the clinic and have it looked at."

"Clinic?" Erin questioned. "What direction would that be in?"  
Nori pointed at a two-story white building with a blue roof.

"Alright. Thanks, Nori!" said Erin before skipping off in the direction Nori had pointed. "See you later!"

Erin knocked on the door to the clinic. When no answer came, she knocked again and then waited, rocking back and forth on her heels. "Hello?"

When still no answer came, and it seemed nobody was coming, Erin pushed on the door to see if it was unlocked. It swung open, hitting someone on the other side smack in the face.

"O-ow!"

"Oh no!" Erin cried. "I am so sorry! I didn't realize you were coming to the door so I-"

"Wait…" the boy Erin had hit interrupted. "Have we… met before?"

* * *

**...Suspense! Well, I hope you liked this chapter!  
**

_**America: Fine! I'll just ask Google maps, and he'll tell me how to get there on top of how long it'll take!  
England: We can't Google stuff in 1942! Ass-hat.**_


End file.
